Colin ought to have taken his father's ready response to his request as an overture of reconciliation.

For a moment he was provoked with both of them.
"You are a dour lot, you Crawfords; ane o' you is prouder than the ither." "The Crawfords are as God made them, dominie." "And some o' them a little warse." Yet, after all, it was Colin Tallisker was really angry at.

For the present he had to let his anger lie by.

Colin had gone, and given him no address in America.
"He is feared I will be telling him his duty, and when he comes back that is what I shall do, if I go to London to mak him hear me." For a moment the laird looked hopefully into the dominie's face, but the hope was yet so far off he could not grasp it.

Yet, in a dim, unacknowledged way it influenced him.